My Corroded CPU Block

Recently my PC karked it and dis-assembly required the removal of my W/C gear. I decided it was a better time than ever to give my blocks are rads a clean before I fix the ploblem and re-assemble my PC.

I opened my CPU block (Swiftech GTX) and this was the sight.
The top:

The outlet:

The base:

Now you can imagine how pissed off I was to discover this. I knew the top of the block would corrode but not this quickly, the loop has only been running for only 2.5 months for christ's sake and with anti corrosive coolant. I'm waiting for Spawn to say "I told ya so" lol.

I gave the block an entire clean using some diluted vinigar and a tooth brush followed by a thorough rinsing in water. This is the result.
The top:

The top close up:

The base (inside):

The base (outside):

Now you can really see the extent of the corrosion. Almost the entire coating on the inside of the block has been removed allong with a few deep gouges where the corrosion had really taken effect. I admit, the cleaning did a fantastic job on the copper lol, better than new.

Naturally I have no intention of using this block ever again so I need to look for a replacement.
The blocks I have at my disposal are:
Swiftech GTZ
D-Tek FuZion
D-Tek FuZion V2 (with quad insert)
EK Supreme (acetel or plexi top)
Alphacool NexXxoS XP light Plexi
Danger Den MC-TDX Multi-Core
Danger Den TDX
XSPC X20 Delta V3
I could also try to source a copper top for my Swiftech GTX.

So the question which block to get? The Swiftech, D-Tek and EK blocks are all winners but what do you guys think?

I would like to close by saying to anyone out there looking to mix metals (copper and aluminium) in a water loop not to do so. I was aware of the risks, I knew the block would corrode eventually but as you can see here all it takes is a few months for the corrosion to start. I was lucky I checked my block when I did. 6 months from now my block could be completely corroded and my radiators and pump could be clogged and in need of replacement, another expensive and messy exercise. Stick with all copper blocks or copper and plexi/acetel blocks and your water cooling experience will be a lot more enjoyable.

PS. Could we make this a sticky? It may be helpfull for newbies to see how corrosion can really effect a water block. You can tell them but seing it is a completely different story.

Oh, DAMN. Like you said, glad you caught it when you did!

yeah i think you might need some new coolant... also check for differences in the metals in your rad and block because sometimes the coolant reacts with each and can cause an issue with corrosion.

Here's an older, equally graphic (perhaps slightly clearer) example of what can happen if one isn't careful. Nasty stuff. Thanks for sharing, tb4o! +rep

@blue - Yeah I am glad my PC karked it when it did and I took a look. This could have turned into a nasty headache later on.
@Espo - That top was the only alu piece in my loop. The radiators are all copper and my GPU block is copper with a plastic top (Swiftech MCW-60). My coolant looks brand new except the colour has gone from a green to slightly more yellow but it still looks the same under UV light. I may consider replacing it but it doesn't look like a threat at the moment.
@Fuzzy - Yeah that's pretty nasty, thanks for sharing.

Today I am going to send an Email to Swiftech. Perhaps they will be able to give me a replacement top or hook me up with the copper varient. If not I need to chose one of the blocks I listed above.

lol, i won't say it...

i am surprised to at how quickly it corroded.

as far as those blocks the Swiftech GTZ and Dtek V2 (the quad insert is useless) are equal as far as performance goes. tehy are also the best out. the ek not being to far behind.

if you plan to upgrade to i7 then grab the GTZ as dtek still doesn't have one out yet.

i wonder what that would have been like without the coolant.

Yeah so am I, 2 and a half months is not a long time.

If/when I upgrade to i7 I will buy an entirely new loop because I want to keep LEXA as she is so I can put her on display. I'm just going to get the best block that's avaliable at this point in time.

So my upgrade will either be a copper top for my GTX, a Swiftech GTZ, D-Tek FuZion V2 or the EK Supreme. As far as I can tell the top on the GTZ is Delrin so I shouldn't have a problem with corrosion. The D-Tek is a very good block so I am leaning towards that but the EK Supreme has the option for a plexi top ;). I have to do a bit more research before I make up my mind.

good idea asking for copper, the yellowing was probably because of that corrosion. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The boy 4rm oz

Yeah so am I, 2 and a half months is not a long time.

If/when I upgrade to i7 I will buy an entirely new loop because I want to keep LEXA as she is so I can put her on display. I'm just going to get the best block that's avaliable at this point in time.

So my upgrade will either be a copper top for my GTX, a Swiftech GTZ, D-Tek FuZion V2 or the EK Supreme. As far as I can tell the top on the GTZ is Delrin so I shouldn't have a problem with corrosion. The D-Tek is a very good block so I am leaning towards that but the EK Supreme has the option for a plexi top ;). I have to do a bit more research before I make up my mind.

---

plexi is a bad thing, at least in water. i would stay away from it as i would from aluminum. i'm not sure if its just thermaltakes plexi but it seems to crack alot from what ive read.

the ek supreme performs best with alot of flow, so i'm thinking with your loop the dtek v2 or GTZ are your best bets.

in case you haven't seen it here is a review of the GTZ and it's compared to the V2
http://martinsliquidlab.i4memory.com...TZ_Review.html

Thanks for the review TGS.

I just got an email back from Swiftech. They said I can have a alu or Delrin top, they have no copper. I'm gonna get the Delrin top and save some cash on a new block.

I just got another email from Swiftech, they are sending me the Delrin top. Their customer service really is top notch, they respond very quickly and help you out as best they can, not to mention their products perform very well also ;).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The boy 4rm oz

I just got another email from Swiftech, they are sending me the Delrin top. Their customer service really is top notch, they respond very quickly and help you out as best they can, not to mention their products perform very well also ;).

---

did they send it for free? either way thats pretty kick ass.

and the good thing is the outside still looks like metal (might even be plated plastic)

delrin is awesome stuff. I've been using it for years in my autococker paint marker, stuffs so light, but yet so strong! I'm trying to find sheet delrin for case modding.

@TGS - well they only asked for my postal address, they didn't say anything about purchasing it so I guess they are sneding it for free.

@rithunder - yeah delrin is pretty durable stuff.

Swiftech sent the block off today. I will probably have it by next week.

Awesome!

nice, yet another good result from swiftech!

Yep exactly, It's really good to see a company who actually care about their customers.

Sorry for not updating you guys on the situation.

I got the Delrin block top last Friday and installed it as soon as I got it home. I started Uni this week so I haven't been able to post up the pics. I have a free day tomorrow so I will post them up then.

It is good to hear that you at least got the block back in a speedy manner. You know how companies are sometimes haha.

Yeah it was really good for Swiftech to get me that new top.

Sorry I haven't uploaded the pics yet. One of my friends is leaving to join the Army Monday and we have all been spending a lot of time with him before he leaves. it's a public holiday over here on Monday so I should get them up for you by then.

This update has been a long time coming I know but I have been flat chat with Uni lately and haven't had much time at all for anything besides sleeping when I get home lol. Long long days.

Well here are the pics I promised.
The new Delrin block top:

A shot of both the Alu and Delrin tops for comparison:

And a final shot of the block re-assembled:

It's not as blingy as the original top but I think it looks quite good in a minimalistic wort of way, hope it doesn't impede performance though, shouldn't.

I'd just like to say thanks again to Swiftech for their help with this issue and by sending me the new block top free of charge.

new block looks even better! :)

now might be a good time to get rid of my xspc alu resevoirs:D

nice, looks good, though they should have used the same lined design i think.

Yeah that's what I thought but it would be kinda hard to mill the Delrin that way, doesn't really bother me,atleast they sent me one.